Varanasi:
This year in Varanasi, Holi celebrations were not limited to colors and gulal. Many people also celebrated the festival with drinks, leading to record-breaking alcohol sales in the city.
According to the Excise Department, alcohol worth around ₹27 crore was sold in just three days during the Holi festival. Liquor shops across the city saw huge crowds as people bought alcohol to celebrate with friends and family.
Officials said the sales included both Indian-made foreign liquor and country liquor, and the unusually high demand made the excise department quite happy with the revenue generated during the festival.
Similar Trend Seen in Ballia
A similar trend was reported in Ballia district, where alcohol sales during Holi also broke previous records.
According to official data:
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Around ₹5 crore worth of alcohol was sold this year.
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In previous years, sales were usually between ₹2–2.5 crore before Holi.
The district currently has:
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2 model liquor shops
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98 composite shops (selling foreign liquor and beer)
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145 country liquor shops
Officials said the sales distribution was roughly:
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60% foreign liquor
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30% country liquor
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10% beer
People Bought Alcohol in Advance
The government had ordered liquor shops to remain closed until 5 PM on Holi day, so many people bought their stock a day earlier, which caused a spike in sales before the festival.
Authorities also increased monitoring in areas where illegal liquor is usually sold. Due to stricter checks on illegal alcohol, more people bought liquor from licensed government shops, which further boosted official sales.
The Aabkari(Abkari) Times magazine occupies a unique niche in the Indian media landscape. As the only Hindi monthly magazine dedicated to alcohol, liquor, excise, and allied industries, it caters to a specific audience with a specialized knowledge base.
